Cord knitting device

ABSTRACT

A cord knitting device is provided which is extremely simple in overall construction, whereby stitch length can be readily adjusted. The device involves a central shaft having latch needles moving in parallel slideways, and a cassette type hollow cylindrical cam rotatable around the shaft but cooperative with a coaxial outer housing to facilitate adjustment and assembly. The outer casing defines longitudinal slots in a threaded portion, such that projections from the cam fit into the slots, and are held in place by a screw collar on the outside of the housing, operating against an internal spring means.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,901,051

Fletcher Aug. 26, 1975 [54] CORD KNITTING DEVICE 2,016,870 l0/l935 Mciwald 66/9 A 3,421,344 l/l969 Moycr et al. 66/57 X [75] Inventor: E T; Sydney Fletcher nkesom 3,546,899 12 1970 Mcyerhuber 66/55 X ng an [73] Assignee: Fletcher Brothers (Engineers) Primary ExaminerWm. Carter Reynolds Limited, eston, England Attorney, Agent, or FirmPaul & Paul [22] Filed: Jan. 17, 1974 1211 Appl, No.: 434,059 [57] ABSTRACT A cord knitting device is provided which is extremely 0 F A P D t simple in overall construction, whereby stitch length [3 Orelgn pp y a a can be readily adjusted. The device involves a central 1973 Umtcd Kmgdom 3073/73 shaft having latch needles moving in parallel slideways, and a cassette type hollow cylindrical cam rotat- [52] US. Cl,2 66/55, 66/115 able around the Shaft but cooperative with a Coaxial lit. Cl. Outer housing to facilitata adjustment and assembly. Fleld of Search A, 8, 54, 57, 55, The Outer casing defines longitudinal Slots in a 66/115 threaded portion, such that projections from the cam fit into the slots, and are held in place by a screw col- [56] References cued lar on the outside of the housing, operating against an internal spring means 1.056.691 3 1913 Kimes 66/57 x 1,148,871 8/l9l5 Stebcr 66/8 4 Clams 3 Drawmg PATENIED wczsms SHEET 1 BF 3 Pmmaumzsms 3,901,051 SHEET 3 OF 3 CORD KNITTING DEVICE This invention relates to cord knitting devices of the kind (hereinafter called of the kind referred to) having a carrier provided with a passage therethrough for delivering knitted cord, a plurality of slideways provided around the carrier each slideway serving to mount a latch needle cam means relatively rotatable with respect to the carrier to reciprocate the needles in the slideways for co-operation with an edge on the carrier to effect knitting of cord. It is usual to provide a yarn guide on the device and, in use, tension is applied to the cord produced, usually by rotation of a storage spool. For correct knitting of the cord, i.e. to effect the required size and formation of the stitches, it is necessary to provide for adjustment of the needles in their slideways relative to the co-operating edge of the carrier. ln existing devices, this adjustment is difficult to carry out and requires skilled personnel. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cord knitting device.

In accordance with this invention, in a cord knitting device of the kind referred to, there is provided a casing housing the cam means and guiding the latter for linear movement parallel to the slideways, a stop on the casing, and biasing means urging the cam into abutment with the stop, the stop being adjustably engaged with the casing to adjust the position of the cam means with respect to said edge.

The term cord is used in this specification to include knitted fabrics of sleeve form, whether formed as a cylindrical cord or as flat tape.

Preferably, the stop is screw-engaged on the outside of the casing and the cam means has a projection extending through a slot in the casing and abutting the stop. Preferably the stop is adapted at least one position for locking engagement with the projection and, advantageously, the stop is so adapted at a plurality of angularly equispaced positions. The or each adaption may be a recess, which received the projection under the influence of the resilient means.

The cam means preferably comprises a housing accommodating two cam members defining a groove for receving latch needle butts, the housing being provided with the projection. Preferably two such opposite projections are provided extending through respective slots in the casing and both abutting the stop.

The invention is particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cord knitting device according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part of the device showing cam means.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative view of the FIG. ratus in partial cutaway.

Referring to the drawings, the cord knitting device shown comprises a casing 11 of hollow cylindrical form, the bottom (at the right side of the drawing being closed by a bearing (not shown) for a shaft 12. The top part of the casing is formed with a pair of opposite slots 13a, 13b extending axially of the casing and a similarly extending groove 14. The top part of the casing is externally formed with a screw thread 15.

The shaft 12 has a bottom portion 17 formed with a screw thread for mounting the device on a body and the next adjacent part 18 of the shaft is engageable in the bearing for relative rotation of the shaft and the casing.

l appa- In this example, the shaft is held stationary and the casing is rotated by any desired means, for example by belt drive. A shoulder 19 butts against the bearing. The shaft is hollow and at its opposite end has a circular edge 20 defined around an annular end face 21 of the shaft. The opposite end portion, i.e. the portion defining the annular end face 21, has a smooth, cylindrical outer surface 22. The major part of the shaft is formed with a plurality of slideways 23 extending parallel to the shaft axis and angularly equi-spaced around the shaft. Each slideway 23 slidably receives a latch needle 25 having a butt 26 projecting laterally out of its slideway. The needles slide on the cylindrical outer surface 22. This major part of the shaft includes an increased diameter portion 24 which defines a shoulder 24a.

A cam assembly 27 comprises a housing 28 of hollow cylindrical form fixedly accommodating a pair of hollow cylindrical cam members 29a, 29b arranged coaxially to define a continuous internal cam groove 30 generally of elliptical form, between the members. The members may each be an interference fit in the housing. A slot 31 extends parallel to the cam axis in one of the members 29a from one end thereof to open at the groove 30. The cam assembly is slidably and rotatably mounted on the increased diameter portion 24 of the shaft with the butts 26 engaged in the groove 30. Access of the needles to the groove 30 is provided by means of the slot 31. The housing 28 is formed with a pair of opposite outward projections, or ears 33a, 33b at one end. These ears engage in respective slot 13a, 13b for sliding of the cam assembly 27 along the shaft, whilst ensuring that the cam assembly rotates with the casing 11. Sliding of the cam assembly along the shaft adjusts the positions of the heads of the needles 25 with respect to the co-operating edge 21 at the end of the shaft.

A collar 40 is screw-engaged with the thread 15 of the casing 11 and acts as a stop. A helical compression spring 301 of FIG. 3 is housed in the casing 11 and engages with the cam assembly 27 resiliently to urge the latter against the collor 40. The collar is provided with a plurality of recesses 41 in one edge, which receives the diametrically opposite ears 33a, 33b under the influence of the spring to lock the collar against rotation. The collar additionally holds in position a yarn guide 43 received in the groove 14 in the casing 11.

The device includes a further bearing 45 for the shaft, which bearing is a push fit in the casing and abuts against the shoulder 24a. The bearing 45 is held in a holder 46 provided with a grooved gripping portion 47 to facilitate removal of the bearing from the casing. Such removal is necessary for effecting replacement of needles and the holder facilitates such replacement.

The cord knitting device operates in conventional manner by rotation of the casing,-and therefore the cam, with respect to the shaft. The cam is shaped to effect reciprocation of each needle during such rotation, so that the needles progressively pick-up loops of thread from the yarn feed 43 and carry the loops down past the co-operating edge 20. The cord produced is fed through the centre of the shaft and tension is maintained on the cord to effect formation of stitches as the needles pass below the co-operating edge. The tension is maintained by friction drive of a take-up spool.

The formation of the stitches is governed by the relationship between the co-operating edge 20 and the needle heads at their lowest positions. The positions of the needle heads can easily be adjusted to obtain the required stitch quality by screw movement of the collar. The ears are manually held down against the spring action to permit such turning. Movement from one locking position to the next provides a predetermined adjustment dependent on the pitch of the thread provided on the collar and the casing.

What we claim is:

l. A cord knitting device comprising:

a. a shaft having a passage therethrough for delivering knitted cord and defining a plurality of parallel slideways around said shaft for receiving a corresponding plurality of latch needles;

b. hollow cylindrical cam means relatively rotatable with respect to said shaft and serving to reciprocate the needles in the slideways to effect knitting of cord, said cam means including first and second hollow cylindrical members fixedly mounted within a first cylindrical casing to define a slot between said members, said cam means being mounted coaxially around said shaft with portions of said needles riding in said slot, said first casing defining a plurality of radial outward projections;

c. a second hollow cylindrical casing housing said cam means, said second casing also being coaxial around said shaft, having its outer surface threaded at at least one end, and having longitudinal slots in said one end to receive said projections for guided linear movement of said cam means longitudinally parallel to the slideways of said shaft and to said second housing;

d. biasing means urging said cam means toward said one end of said second casing with said projections within said slots in said second casing;

e. an annular collar having threading on its inner surface to cooperate with said threading on the outer surface of said second casing to adjust the position of the cam means within said slots in said second casing.

2. A cord knitting device according to claim 1 including two diametrically opposite ones of said projections from said first casing engaged in respective slots in said second casing.

3. A cord knitting device according to claim 2 wherein said collar is adapted at at least one position for locking engagement with the projections of said first casing.

4. A cord knitting device according to claim 3 wherein said collar defines a plurality of recesses respectively matable with said projections under the influence of said biasing means to lock said collar against 

1. A cord knitting device comprising: a. a shaft having a passage therethrough for delivering knitted cord and defining a plurality of parallel slideways around said shaft for receiving a corresponding plurality of latch needles; b. hollow cylindrical cam means relatively rotatable with respect to said shaft and serving to reciprocate the needles in the slideways to effect knitting of cord, said cam means including first and second hollow cylindrical members fixedly mounted within a first cylindrical casing to define a slot between said members, said cam means being mounted coaxially around said shaft with portions of said needles riding in said slot, said first casing defining a plurality of radial outward projections; c. a second hollow cylindrical casing housing said cam means, said second casing also being coaxial around said shaft, having its outer surface threaded at at least one end, and having longitudinal slots in said one end to receive said projections for guided linear movement of said cam means longitudinally parallel to the slideways of said shaft and to said second housing; d. biasing means urging said cam means toward said one end of said second casing with said projections within said slots in said second casing; e. an annular collar having threading on its inner surface to cooperate with said threading on the outer surface of said second casing to adjust the position of the cam means within said slots in said second casing.
 2. A cord knitting device according to claim 1 including two diametrically opposite ones of said projections from said first casing engaged in respective slots in said second casing.
 3. A cord knitting device according to claim 2 wherein said collar is adapted at at least one position for locking engagement with the projections of said first casing.
 4. A cord knitting device according to claim 3 wherein said collar defines a plurality of recesses respectively matable with said projections under the influence of said biasing means to lock said collar against rotation. 